DESIGN OF PARK AND RECREATION AREAS in 



ground, a playfield, or a purely landscaped area, a large city park or a 

 forest reservation park. 



While it is certainly true that children's playgrounds, playfields and 

 athletic fields often seem to present few art possibilities, nevertheless the 

 designing of such areas from this viewpoint should more and more become 

 an object of serious consideration by landscape architects with a view to 

 perfecting designs that will overcome the ugliness which characterizes so 

 many active recreation areas throughout America. Many school play- 

 grounds are particularly unattractive, and it seems folly to attempt to 

 teach the appreciation of beauty in the schools while at the same time the 

 school grounds are permitted to become and remain the ugliest places in 

 the neighborhood. Many active recreation areas under the control of park 

 and recreation authorities are also totally lacking in beauty. Less should 

 be made of the so-called distinction between art and utility. Beauty of 

 surroundings should always be considered of the highest utility, and utili- 

 tarian things should have some elements of beauty. This is especially true 

 of areas comprised in a park system and particularly of the areas devoted 

 to active recreation. 



In the designing of purely landscaped areas, or areas predominatingly 

 landscaped, the landscape architect should be the supreme arbiter. In the 

 designing of active recreation areas, and of areas predominatingly land- 

 scaped but including active recreation facilities requiring supervision, it 

 is recommended that the architect associate with himself recreation experts, 

 unless the architect is skilled in the management of active recreation 

 facilities and activities. The reason for this is that a landscape archi- 

 tect not skilled in the organization and management of activities may 

 not always perceive the most effective arrangement of the facilities from 

 the viewpoint of supervision, especially when it is remembered that most 

 active recreation areas are undermanned. 



Similarly, if there are to be included in the design structures requiring 

 the services of a building architect it is desirable for the landscape designer 

 and the building designer to consider together the general design of the 

 area and the plans of the building. If the structure is one to be used for 

 indoor recreation or as an adjunct to an athletic center or a swimming center, 

 it is desirable that the recreation expert be asked to go over the plans of 

 the interior arrangement, considering them from the viewpoint of super- 

 vision and management. 



In the designing of areas calling for a great deal of heavy construc- 

 tion work or requiring some particularly difficult piece of construction work, 

 it is advisable for the landscape architect to consult with the engineer of 

 the department or with some competent engineer employed temporarily for 



